WO2002069602A1 - Improvements relating to server systems - Google Patents
Improvements relating to server systems Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2002069602A1 WO2002069602A1 PCT/GB2002/000787 GB0200787W WO02069602A1 WO 2002069602 A1 WO2002069602 A1 WO 2002069602A1 GB 0200787 W GB0200787 W GB 0200787W WO 02069602 A1 WO02069602 A1 WO 02069602A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- helper
- processing system
- data processing
- user
- data
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/08—Protocols specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/50—Network services
- H04L67/56—Provisioning of proxy services
- H04L67/565—Conversion or adaptation of application format or content
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
- H04L9/40—Network security protocols
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/10—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network
- H04L67/1001—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/10—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network
- H04L67/1001—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
- H04L67/10015—Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/10—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network
- H04L67/1001—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
- H04L67/1004—Server selection for load balancing
- H04L67/1023—Server selection for load balancing based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
- H04L69/08—Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
- H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
- H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
- H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
- H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
Definitions
- This invention relates to the control of computer systems with multiple resources, for example multiple servers.
- One known arrangement is our FreeVisionTM system, which is the subject of 099/22294.
- This system enables workstations consisting only of video screen, keyboard and mouse to be connected to control any selected server using only serial signals over category 5 cabling.
- This system offers considerable advantages, but can only be used where the servers are capable of producing and handling keyboard-video-mouse (KV ) signals.
- One object of the present invention is to enable the provision of a system in which a user work station can communicate with and control any selected one of a number of "headless" servers which do not themselves provide video format signals .
- the present invention is concerned with enabling a user operating in one format to communicate with a resource (which may be a server or another machine, or a software resource such as a database) operating in another format in a manner which is automatic and transparent to the user.
- a resource which may be a server or another machine, or a software resource such as a database
- the present invention provides a data processing system including one or more user stations each capable of sending and receiving data in a first form; a plurality of resources each capable of sending and receiving data in a second form; at least one helper computer arranged to transform data between the first and second forms; and a multiplexer for connecting the helper computer, or one of the helper computers, between a user and a selected resource.
- the invention provides a method of operating a data processing system, which system comprises one or more user stations each capable of sending and receiving data in a first form and a plurality of resources each capable of sending and receiving data in a second form; the method comprising: detecting a request from a user station requesting the establishment of a connection with a desired resource; establishing a connection between the user station and a helper computer; and establishing a connection between the helper computer and the desired resource; the helper computer being programmed to transform data between the first and second forms.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of one system in accordance with the invention.
- the system includes a number of servers, nine of which are shown at 10. In practice, the system may include several hundred or more servers. The system also includes a number of user stations, one of which is shown at 12. In practice, there might be some tens of users. Each user station comprises a keyboard, a video screen, and a mouse, each of which communicates with an interface 20. The interface 20 permits keyboard- video-mouse (KVM) signals to pass to and from the user 10 via a path 22 using the FreeVisionTM protocol .
- KVM keyboard- video-mouse
- any user 12 it is desired to enable any user 12 to be connected with any server 10 in such a way that the user controls the selected server as though its keyboard, video screen and mouse were physically connected direct to the server.
- the servers 10 do not produce video signals in a displayable format such as VGA.
- the invention is based on interposing a helper computer between the user and the selected server to emulate the missing functions. It would, however, be unnecessarily complex and expensive to provide a computer for each server, or for each work station, and therefore a limited number of helper computers (which could be one, but will typically be single figures) is incorporated in the system so as to be efficiently used, as will now be explained.
- Each of the servers 10 is connected to a respective port of a serial multiplexer (mux) 28.
- the serial mux 28 in this example is a fully non-blocking 16- to-many serial mux. It must be able to switch any serial port to any TCP/IP session. Suitable multiplexers to meet these criteria are well known in the art.
- helper PCs two of which are shown at 30, which in turn are connected to a server interface card 32.
- the users 12 are connected via a user interface card 24 to a server management system (SMS) which consists of a switch formed by a matrix switch 27 and a server chassis 34, a switch server 26, and an SQL database 29 for the switch server 26.
- SMS server management system
- the matrix switch 27 enables a given user port on the user interface card 24 to communicate with a given server port on the server interface card 32.
- Matrix switches of this nature are known per se, and are available for example from CCC Network Systems of Farnborough, Hants, England and Southern Ireland.
- the matrix switch 27 is similar to that described in 099/22294.
- the switch server 26 is also arranged to communicate by an appropriate protocol, in this embodiment TCP/IP, with the helper PCs 30 and with the serial mux's 28.
- mux's such as 28, each of which will have up to 16 servers connected to it, and can have any of a number of PCs connected via TCP/IP.
- the switch server 26 identifies from the database 29 the mux 28 to which the requested server is connected. (2) The switch server 26 then makes a request for connection. (3) According to the availability of each PC, the system attempts to propagate the request to any PC in the pool of PCs . (4) Once a free PC has identified itself, the switch server 26 instructs the PC which mux and port to connect to, which connects the appropriate corns ports (provided not in use) . (5) The selected PC is instructed to start a terminal session with a shell command, which may usefully be stored as a string in the database 29. (6) The PC confirms successful command execution, and the switch server 26 connects the user via the user interface card 24, the switch 27, 34, and the appropriate port of the server interface card 32.
- each of the PCs contains an Ethernet card (or similar networking arrangement) .
- Each PC also has socket listening software to accept requests from the SMS and to allow termination of the session at any time. Upon termination, all links can be broken.
- the system as thus far described therefore enables any user to be connected to any desired server via a helper PC.
- the servers 10 in this embodiment are headless servers which do not provide formatted video signals and may not be organised to accept keyboard and mouse signals directly.
- the helper PC is therefore provided with terminal emulator software, so that the combination of the user workstation 12 and the terminal emulator acts as a fully featured terminal to control the selected server.
- Fig. 1 also shows a server 110 which is capable of handling KVM signals, to illustrate that this can be connected directly to a port of the server interface card 34 without the intervention of a helper PC.
- KVM KVM signals in analogue format.
- Other channels as shown operate in RS232. In a large system, this greatly simplifies cabling arrangements. However, other data transfer protocols may be used.
- the PC and its installed software enable the user to interface with the server by proxy, and the PC may be referred to as a "proxy helper" .
- the same basic technique may be used to allow interfacing by proxy with resources other than servers, "resource” in this context being used to mean any machine or database.
- the proxy helpers could, for example, contain web browsers to interact with web-enabled devices, or custom interfacing software to interact with, for example, air conditioning systems or alarms.
- the switch server will know from its database the type of resource the user requires access to and will use this information to identify a suitable proxy helper PC from its pool.
- the helper PC acts as a computer dedicated to navigation of a large multi-user computer system.
- the user invokes the helper PC, identifies a list of computers he requires access to (known as a profile) , and then leaves the helper PC.
- the switch server takes over control and allows the user to move between the computers in his profile with no further helper PC involvement.
- the prior art system is intentionally invoked by the user, and is used temporarily to create or modify a profile.
- the user does not intentionally invoke the proxy helper; this is an automatic action performed by the switch server based on the type of resource the user wishes to interact with.
- Proxy helpers are allocated on a per-session basis.
- the proxy helpers are intelligently utilised by the switch server based on resource type, and the operation is transparent to the user.
- the system as described is very flexible and may readily be expanded and altered without requiring much if anything in the way of specialised hardware or software.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CA002477630A CA2477630A1 (en) | 2001-02-27 | 2002-02-27 | Improvements relating to server systems |
US10/479,392 US8200825B2 (en) | 2001-02-27 | 2002-02-27 | Server systems |
DE60219919T DE60219919T2 (en) | 2001-02-27 | 2002-02-27 | IMPROVEMENTS FOR A SERVER SYSTEM |
EP02702482A EP1410598B1 (en) | 2001-02-27 | 2002-02-27 | Improvements relating to server systems |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0104836.2 | 2001-02-27 | ||
GBGB0104836.2A GB0104836D0 (en) | 2001-02-27 | 2001-02-27 | Improvements relating to server systems |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2002069602A1 true WO2002069602A1 (en) | 2002-09-06 |
Family
ID=9909618
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2002/000787 WO2002069602A1 (en) | 2001-02-27 | 2002-02-27 | Improvements relating to server systems |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US8200825B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1410598B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE361623T1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2477630A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60219919T2 (en) |
GB (1) | GB0104836D0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002069602A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080155124A1 (en) * | 2006-12-20 | 2008-06-26 | Matthew Charles Compton | Apparatus, system, and method for remote multi-user kvm switching |
US9313602B2 (en) | 2012-10-24 | 2016-04-12 | Beta Brain, Inc. | Remotely accessing a computer system |
US10235681B2 (en) * | 2013-10-15 | 2019-03-19 | Adobe Inc. | Text extraction module for contextual analysis engine |
US10430806B2 (en) | 2013-10-15 | 2019-10-01 | Adobe Inc. | Input/output interface for contextual analysis engine |
Citations (4)
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US5727159A (en) * | 1996-04-10 | 1998-03-10 | Kikinis; Dan | System in which a Proxy-Server translates information received from the Internet into a form/format readily usable by low power portable computers |
EP0859500A2 (en) * | 1997-02-18 | 1998-08-19 | Lucent Technologies Inc. | Method and apparatus for browsing the Internet with a telecommunications device |
US6125112A (en) * | 1998-03-23 | 2000-09-26 | 3Com Corporation | Non-buffered, non-blocking multistage ATM switch |
EP1049305A1 (en) * | 1999-04-27 | 2000-11-02 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Service relay apparatus for providing multimedia content information to a user terminal |
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2001
- 2001-02-27 GB GBGB0104836.2A patent/GB0104836D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2002
- 2002-02-27 DE DE60219919T patent/DE60219919T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-02-27 US US10/479,392 patent/US8200825B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-02-27 AT AT02702482T patent/ATE361623T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2002-02-27 CA CA002477630A patent/CA2477630A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-02-27 EP EP02702482A patent/EP1410598B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-02-27 WO PCT/GB2002/000787 patent/WO2002069602A1/en active IP Right Grant
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US5727159A (en) * | 1996-04-10 | 1998-03-10 | Kikinis; Dan | System in which a Proxy-Server translates information received from the Internet into a form/format readily usable by low power portable computers |
EP0859500A2 (en) * | 1997-02-18 | 1998-08-19 | Lucent Technologies Inc. | Method and apparatus for browsing the Internet with a telecommunications device |
US6125112A (en) * | 1998-03-23 | 2000-09-26 | 3Com Corporation | Non-buffered, non-blocking multistage ATM switch |
EP1049305A1 (en) * | 1999-04-27 | 2000-11-02 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Service relay apparatus for providing multimedia content information to a user terminal |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ATE361623T1 (en) | 2007-05-15 |
US20050120116A1 (en) | 2005-06-02 |
GB0104836D0 (en) | 2001-04-18 |
US8200825B2 (en) | 2012-06-12 |
DE60219919T2 (en) | 2008-01-17 |
DE60219919D1 (en) | 2007-06-14 |
EP1410598B1 (en) | 2007-05-02 |
EP1410598A1 (en) | 2004-04-21 |
CA2477630A1 (en) | 2002-09-06 |
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